FlyingJazzy

Hi flyers of BKK board,
I will be doing a 10hrs stopover at BKK, arriving at 2200 with TG677 and leaving @0800 with TG600.
Do u think its doable having a quick night tour by myself and comeback by 5am when TG lounge opens?
Any recommendation is appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
FJ

BinSabai

sure why not? what are the concerns?
but keep in mind that many venues are not so open end anymore as they used to be

Tokyoite

arriving at 2200, long queues in immigration, means you will get to town at earliest midnight. Between midnight and 5am, whatever is open in Bangkok is in the raunchy Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy area. If that is your "sight seeing", i suggest you go. Definitely an eye opener. Just dont miss your flight!
Otherwise, i would suggest getting a hotel near the airport!

FlyingJazzy

Thanks for input.
I'm flying in first so I guess will be assisted for immigration?
I assume the best way of transport at late evening is only taxi, correct?
Should I pay attention to their fare counter or there is no scam at all? What's the regular cost by taxi to such 2 suggested spots ?
Yea I just wanna get around a bit in bangkok and get some thai food.
Thanks again for your help!

BinSabai

flying in F will get you a buggy ride to immigration and escort through fast track and out of the Airport (guess you will not have to wait for luggage as checked through) in less then 15 minutes. they will escort you to the official taxi booth as well; no scam from there; you pay Airport fee + meter + toll fee, probably around 250-350 THB to those areas
I heard that mentioned main nightlife areas close 0100 or 0200, but there will be venues around opening longer...

SK AAR

The OP needs to find one the few venues that manage to stay open after 2AM.

If it was me I would take one of cheap but good hotels in airport area (except the pricy Novotel at the airport) for a good nights sleep (but hey, I have been to BKK numerous times so a night out in Bangkok is not that exciting for me anymore)

Kacee

Even if the driver tries to scam you (on the return, for example), it will be an "offer" of a 500 THB flat fee. Still cheap, but insulting and annoying.

This is totally doable. Whether worthwhile or not . . . that's YMMV.

restlessinRNO

The Airport Train link runs until midnight. Arriving at 2200, you will likely be in time, in case you wish to take the train into town, instead of taxi.

BinSabai

at this time of the day the train is hardly a time saver unless you want to go to a place very close to its stations

JVPhoto

I think even a slummy/scummy few hours in the middle of the night in Bangkok is a lot more exciting than spending hours in the dead airport.

But, looking at your schedule of NRT-BKK-HKG I would also ask what your plans are for the next day in HKG? Leaving Tokyo at 5:30, maybe getting an 1.5-2h nap on the flight and then staying up all night in Bangkok and arriving in Hong Kong at the next day at Noon wouldn't allow me to function much or be productive that day.

Like Kacee said you won't have a problem with the taxi leaving the airport but you'll get the 500 baht offer on the way back...it's not a lot of money but it's the principle of the matter.
In probably 10 Silom to BKK taxi rides I've had it happen three times. Being able to to say in Thai "I want the meter or I'm getting out" helped one, the other surprised me since it was about 4:30am but I only had 300 baht in my wallet (the other 20,000 was in my backpack lol) and I showed him that and one being my fault for not paying attention after we were already pulling out of the St. Regis and on our way that I would have said let me out had I know 2 suitcases with me but I ended up getting him for like 350 I think.

BinSabai

it depends...if you take a taxi queuing and waiting on the Patpong side of Silom, chances are >90% that you get a inflated price offered. If you flag down a driving taxi on the other side of Silom, chances are >60% that the driver turns on the meter without further discussion if you do not look like a Tourist newbie
and don't forget that OP will return to the Airport between 0400-0600 when taxis are usually not so busy and don't risk to loose passengers by quoting inflated Prices

Oh and could you teach us fellow board members how to say in Thai: "I want the meter or I'm getting out"

jphripjah

You should definitely leave the airport. A few comments.

If you have checked bags the airline should check them all the way to Hong Kong for you, especially since it's Thai and you're flying in first class. However, I have had airlines tell me for 6-12 hour stopovers "Oh, we can't check it through you have to collect it at the stopover point." I've also had airlines tell me for 20 hour connections "Oh you can't collect it at the stopover point you have to check it through to the final destination."

Just be prepared that you might have to insist on the bag being checked through to Hong Kong. This shouldn't be a problem. Worst case scenario, if they check it to Bangkok, is that you'll have to collect the bag, store it at the 24 hour bag storage place in the arrivals area, then collect it in the morning, but that's a waste of time.

I guess I have never flown first class into Bangkok, only business class, because I have never gotten the buggy ride to immigration. There have been reports in recent weeks about the regular immigration lines being 2-4 hours long, so you definitely want either the buggy ride/escort or at least get one of the "premium lane" immigration passes they hand out. If you are not escorted to immigration, show your premium lane pass to one of the staff members and they will direct you to the fast track line to the far right or far left of the regular immigration lines.

Leaving the airport, you clear customs, take the escalator downstairs, follow the signs for "public taxi." You walk outside and will see lines for the automated kiosks that say something like "regular taxi" "large van" and "short trip near the airport." You want the "regular taxi" line/kiosk, you hit the button and it spits out the receipt showing what parking space your taxi is in and the plate number and driver name, etc. The driver may ask to see the paper to confirm you are his customer, but you should hold onto it during your trip as it contains all his details and helps reduce the chance of him being a pain in the ....

Tell the driver you want to go to Soi Cowboy which is right near the "Asok" intersection. He might be resistant to use the meter and try to quote you 500-600 baht, but the airport departure taxis usually don't do that anymore. Insist that he use the meter and he will. He may ask if you want to use the highway, say yes, it will be a bit faster. You pay the highway tolls, the 50 baht airport surcharge, and the meter, all of which will total about 400-450 baht.

Look around Soi Cowboy, have a few beers, and then go to Nana Plaza. I think Nana Plaza is usually open a little later than Soi Cowboy, it just depends on the night though, sometimes cops shut everything down at 1 and sometimes most everything is open until 3. Even if Nana Plaza itself closes at 1 or 2 there are usually a number of bars remaining open nearby on and around Soi Nana.

Getting from Cowboy to Nana at midnight involves either a 25 minute walk through interesting sleaze or it may involve dealing with the jerk mototaxi and tuk tuk drivers who park outside Cowboy and demand 100-200 baht for the 3 minute ride there. Or walk a few meters away from Soi Cowboy, cross Sukhumvit, then flag down a metered taxi which is heading in the direction of Nana and who will take you on the meter or for 100 baht. Since it's your only time in Bangkok though I recommend doing the walk to Nana, on the "odd numbered" side of Sukhumvit, and getting the full flavor of the sleaze. Then cross Sukhumvit at Soi Nana and Nana Plaza will be ahead and on your left.

When you return to the airport in the morning, go to the Thai first class check in counters (counters A&B?) and use the premium fast track departure lane near there which will allow you to bypass the possibly quite long departure immigration lines. Don't get in the regular immigration/security lines.

BinSabai

thanks jphripjah for taking the time to write up such an extensive guide for the OP
just few corrections
- TG does NOT hand out Premium Lane passes (they did long time ago). F passengers get a pick up at the gate and escort through fast track until taxi booth. J passengers and Platinum can use TG's fast track in the eastern Arrival hall, opposite gate D4 on the left side
- you are certainly in a better position to give up to date recommendations for nightlife, but Cowboy and Nana are not soooo far apart; the walk is about 1.5 km and you would waste a lot of time on the way there to need 205 minutes for that
- in the morning if his flight is F again, he will be escorted through fast track again to the F Lounge and it is also possible to have a one hour massage in TG spa (best is to make Reservation already at the spa)

jphripjah

Haha I meant 25 minutes not 205 minutes thanks. I'll correct that.

Hey if he goes to the F check in when he returns to Bangkok airport is he going to get hit with a 700 baht airport departure tax because he left the airport and re-entered? Would he be better off avoiding any check in agents there if he already has the boarding pass?

Thai-Kiwi

Regarding the THB700 departure fee. Possibly the OP could be asked to pay (and if so, should do), but I have never been 'caught' doing this with long connections when transiting BKK.

Holding the onwards boarding pass if possible (physically or using the app) means no need to stop at the checkin counter and reduces whatever the liklihood might be.